Change of Heart
by AngstAddicted
Summary: What if Trunks went farther back in time, before Gero could turn Lapis and Lazuli into the Androids?
1. Beyond the Past

Age 766

Humans are disgusting.

It was humans who threw us on the streets as children.

It was humans who took advantage of those children, in every way.

It was a human who tore their insides out.

They might as well be the monsters they were made to be.

Humans will get what they deserve. And we will dance on their graves.

* * *

Age 780

The sun was setting and Gohan closed his eyes, enjoying the final moments of warmth it offered.

He was resting on the balcony of Capsule Corp, recovering after the loss of his arm. He heard the door open behind him and saw his apprentice, Trunks walk in with a tray of food. He sensed unease from his student and he knew why. Trunks blamed himself for what happened. Gohan would never blame him, though. He was just a thirteen year old boy. Gohan was a grown man at twenty-three, of course he'd put his life on the line to save a kid, especially when he had so much potential to become stronger. He was the little brother he never had.

Trunks walked up beside him with the tray, not being able to look at him. Everytime he tried all he would see is his arm, gone.

Trunks roughly placed the tray against a table. "I hate them."

Gohan continued to gaze into the sky. "I understand, but don't let that cloud your judgement and make rash decisions... I feel sorry for them."

Trunks balked at him. "Seriously?! But they killed all your friends!"

"I know, but think about it, why did they kill their creator?"

"Well- because they're evil!"

"Yeah, but Gero wasn't good, either. I'm betting that Seventeen and Eighteen had a real reason to hate him. Also… if they were teenagers when completed how old were they when Gero started working on them."

Trunks went silent.

Gohan poked him in the chest. "I'd say around your age. Children."

"I'm not a child…"

Gohan waved his hand dismissively. "Preteens- you get the idea. Being preyed upon at such a young age, it's no wonder they have so much anger to take out on the world."

Trunks growled and stood up. "So what? Who cares about their reasons for killing? They still deserve to die!"

"Of course they do. It's too late to give them another chance. I'm sorry... I'm just thinking what my dad would do. If he hadn't I know he would've beaten them in battle. But he wouldn't have killed them, he would've told them something to inspire them to live for good, not evil. Just like many of his own friends, including…"

"Including who?"

"Er- your mom is the person to tell you names. I don't want to get on her bad side. Anyway, my point is, if it wasn't for Gero and my dad dying, none of this would be happening…" Gohan turned to his student. "Don't blame yourself for any of this. It's not your fault this happened."

Tears formed at the corners of the boy's eyes. He hugged Gohan and cried. Gohan placed his hand on the boy's head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

From outside the room, Trunks' mother, Bulma, had been listening in.

"If it wasn't for Gero…"

* * *

Age 783

Bulma had just shown Trunks her time machine. He was impressed, but doubt stretched across his face.

"Mom, what is it you're hoping to accomplish?"

Bulma grabbed a clipboard from her desk.

"It's simple, son. I want you to stop the Androids from ever being built in the first place."

Trunks stared at her.

"What?"

"You heard me. Of course, you'd have to make another trip to the past to give Goku the antidote for his illness, as well."

"But how will I even find Gero in the past?"

Bulma tapped the clipboard.

"It was hard to figure out, but I used a strand of Seventeen's hair from your jacket to run a DNA test. I got a match."

She gave Trunks some of her papers. The first was the results of the test and he skimmed over most of it, only registering the name 'Lapis'. The next was screen-captured footage of two kids who looked like the Androids, but younger. They were in a convenience store, holding the cashier at gunpoint. Bulma pointed at the date.

"This was the last known sighting of the twins before they disappeared, presumably to be turned into cyborgs. They were fifteen at the time, only a year younger than you are now."

Trunks turned to the next page. It was another picture of the twins from an article for missing children. The images used showed even younger children with smiles on their faces. It almost made him feel sorry for them.

"So what, you want me to kill them when they were human?"

Bulma looked horrified. "No! They were just kids, and they never killed anyone, at least, not on record. What I want is for you to travel to this city in the past and keep an eye on them. It's around this time that Gero interacted with them. When you see Gero, you kill him before he turns these orphans into genocidal monsters!"

"Wait… you want me to _protect_ the Androids?" Trunks felt disgusted just saying that.

Bulma sighed.

" _Homeless orphans_. If you arrive a couple of weeks and find them before then, you might even convince them to help you."

"You mean make _friends_ with them? Can't you just find a sighting for Gero so I can get it over with?"

Bulma shook her head.

"Gero was very good at erasing information about his past. I couldn't find anything on him."

Trunks stared at the kids in the article. The girl had blonde hair pulled back into twin ponytails and braces while the boy had short black hair. They looked innocent here compared to the other photo of them at fifteen. Their hair became longer and uneven, their eyes darkened and full of pain. Anyone would be curious about what happened to them.

"What will happen to the Androids here?"

"Nothing. The future you will change won't be ours."

Trunks gaped at her. "Then what is the point of all this?!"

"To give that version of Earth a bright future. One where Goku and your father live to keep it safe from bleak stories like ours."

"I could meet father?'

Bulma nodded nervously. "Of course!"

Trunks fell into silence, deep in thought.

"Alright, I'll do it."

* * *

Age 765

Lapis didn't know how much longer they could do this. Run, hide, steal. He just knows they couldn't be put into the system again. Not for fear of their crimes catching up, but for the people looking for them. They can't get found. They'd be killed.

 _But..._

Lapis looked down at his sister, Lazuli resting against his leg. They usually took turns sleeping and keeping watch so that no one could get the jump on them. Lazuli was ill, and most of their money went to buying her medicine. Lapis wanted to take her to a hospital every time he saw her keel over in pain, but she always refused. She'd rather risk her own life than both of theirs. She always acted more mature than him, even though they were the same age, but she could be just as stubborn when it came to being protective. Lapis wished he could do more for her. They just needed more money.

And he will do anything to get it.


	2. Taking Action

_A.N._

 _Warning: this chapter contains themes that may be uncomfortable for some readers. Read bottom of chapter for detailed description._

* * *

Lapis slinged his bag over his shoulder and smiled at his sister.

"I'll see you soon, Laz. Don't get addicted to your meds while I'm gone."

Lazuli sat up on the couch and gripped her magazine tightly.

"It's getting dark. I don't think you should go alone."

"I'll be _fine,"_ Lapis lied. He knew it was dangerous to be meeting someone alone, but he didn't want Lazuli to worry.

Lazuli seemed skeptical, so he walked over and patted her head. She swatted his hand away.

"You know I'm older than you by five hours, right."

"Who's the breadwinner here?"

"Oh wow, bread? We're really stepping up, huh?"

The twins shared a laugh, until Lazuli choked and started to cough. Lapis sat beside her and rubbed her back until it died down.

"Get some rest, okay?"

Lazuli nodded solemnly. "Promise you'll come back."

"You always make me promise…"

" _Do it._ "

Lapis lifted two fingers up and made a cross over his heart. "I promise."

* * *

Lately, Lapis had been feeling like he was being watched. He was usually able to spot stalkers right away, but this one was different, not attempting to get closer to him at all. It threw him off his game, but he knew his funds were too low to give up. He was heading to meet with someone he traded stolen goods to for money. A small amount compared to their total worth, but easy money nonetheless. Lapis had met with him before, in the same alleyway he was heading down now. He spotted him couched down on the pavement smoking a cigarette.

"So, what brings you here this time, kid?"

Lapis dropped the bag at his feet. "Phones, gold watches, some diamond earrings."

The man looked inside the bag and nodded appreciatively. "I gotta say, you sure do gotta knack for this, kid."

Footsteps were heard and four more men appeared, one on each side of the alley.

Lapis knew this was bad. "What is this?"

The man stood up. "You think I don't work with gangs, kid? These fellas say they've been looking for some kids with sticky fingers, one with pretty black hair."

Lapis quickly turned to turned to run but the man reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Let go of me!"

One of the other two came over and grabbed his head, "So where's your cute 'lil sister, huh?"

"Fuck you!" Lapis grasped free of his arm and kicked him in the crouch.

The man keeled over in pain. "SOn of a-!" He smacked Lapis across the face, who fell down, and then he grabbed his legs.

"Looks like you need to be taught a lesson, you little tease!"

"Get off me!"

As the men surrounded Lapis and held him down for the man to unzip his jeans, he was filled with dread and fear. He begged and pleaded to no avail. Tears formed in his eyes as he stared at the sky, wishing he could just fly away. He should have known better than to work with adults. There were no good people in this world. There was nothing redeemable about humanity.

"Let go of him!"

The men froze and turned their heads around frantically, then glanced at each other quizzically.

"You heard that right?"

One of the men nodded and they pulled out their guns cautiously.

Lapis saw something from the corner of his eye land onto the ground.

"Let him go, or die."

It wasn't a thing. It was a boy with short, messy hair wearing denim. The ground around him almost seemed to radiate with power. The men didn't seem to notice, and stared at him in confusion.

"Where the hell did you come from?"

"Are you stupid or something?"

"Probably this slut's boyfriend."

One of them pointed their gun at him. "Get lost, kid. You get one warning."

The boy was clenching his fists tightly, his eyes dark. "I gave you two."

It all happened in a flash as Lapis watched the boy appear in front of the gun and crush it in his hand, kicking it's owner a hundred feet away. He heard gunshots ringing in his ears and raised his hands to cover them in pain. Then the shooting stopped, and he opened his eyes to see one of the men run at the boy with a knife, before being dodged and punched into the wall. Lapis was then lifted up and a gun was placed to his head.

"Make another move and I'll blow his brains out, you freak!"

The boy's eyes darted between him and his gun before settling on Lapis. He looked worried for him, and Lapis suddenly realized in that moment that the boy was there to save him. Something about that bothered him. Why was he helping him? Why would anyone with super strength use it for anything other than selfish desires? Well, he wasn't about to let this weirdo think he was so helpless he'd just stand there. Lapis threw his head back and butted the man behind him, causing him to double back in pain. The boy flashed in front of him and knocked him down into the pavement. Lapis collapsed to his knees, feeling pain and light-headed from using his head like that. The boy looked over to him, and as the world spun and turned black, Lapis saw arms reaching out to him.

* * *

It's been four days since Trunks arrived in the past. He watched as the younger versions of the Androids stole from that store as predicted and drove off in their stolen car. If his mother hadn't reassured him that no one was killed that day, he would have interfered. He followed as they later abandoned it and settled in a warehouse. Trunks would watch them from one of the many windows around the building, and noted that the girl, Lazuli, seemed to be sick with something severe. Her brother, Lapis, being in better condition was the one who went out the most. Trunks noticed a pattern in his day-to-day activities. He'd pick a street and come out of each store with something in his jacket. He slid in and out with ease, being caught only once before outrunning the storekeeper. And he'd always finish off with a stolen meal to bring back to his sister. Trunks was starting to understand them more as humans than as androids. At this moment in time, were just two kids trying to survive. The irony was, there's probably hundreds of kids like that in his world because of them, so he didn't exactly pity them.

Today, however, was different. Lapis had gathered all of the things he had stolen and put them into a bag he could wear with ease. Trunks followed and watched from the rooftops as Lapis left and eventually wandered into an alleyway by himself. When no one was looking, he'd fly closer to keep an eye on him. He spotted another person sitting in the alleyway, an older man. He could barely make out what they were saying, but he _did_ notice the men that walked into the alleyway from both sides. He saw fear in Lapis' eyes. When the men pinned him to the ground Trunks knew what they were trying to do. He heard Lapis' cries and knew no one deserved something this repulsive.

And he wasn't just going to sit there and do nothing.

* * *

 _A.N._

 _Warning for attempted sexual assault._

 _I'm working slowly but surely on updates for Reversed and Chemistry. I'm just juggling through them at this point. Thanks for all the support!_


	3. Promise

Trunks barged into the warehouse, carrying Lapis in his arms. Lazuli ran over, surprised by his arrival, then shocked by the sight of her twin.

"Lapis!"

She followed- practically over Trunks' shoulder- as Lapis was placed down on the couch. She looked at the bruises on her brother's skin and then back at Trunks.

"What happened to him?! Who the hell are you?"

Trunks pulled out a box of capsules from his pocket.

"Who I am doesn't matter."

He tossed out a capsule that turned into a first-aid box.

"He's going to be ok, you can use this to treat his wounds."

Lazuli glared at him skeptically.

"Why are you helping us?"

Trunks was staring at Lapis. His wrists were bruised, his clothes torn.

"He was in trouble, so I stepped in."

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"I dunno know why. I just did."

Lazuli paused.

"We're… not used to help."

Trunks held the box out to her.

"Too bad."

Lazuli quickly took it and went to dressing her brother's wounds.

Lapis stirred and whimpered, causing Lazuli to grab his hand in worry, tears forming in her eyes.

"He… almost broke his promise."

Trunks stayed quiet for a moment.

"... Why do you two live like this? I can't understand it."

Lazuli raised an eyebrow.

"I figured you weren't from the streets. Don't you know how often siblings get separated in the system? Besides, it's too late for us; we're hiding from cops _and_ several gangs."

"I'm sure it's been worth it..."

Lazuli turned to him abruptly.

"Who the hell are you to judge us?! Listen up, the only people we're loyal to is each other, so don't expect us to owe you anything for this."

Trunks turned his back to her.

"That's fine, just pretend I was never here."

He was about to leave, but then heard another voice.

"W-wait…"

Trunks looked back and saw Lapis trying to sit up. Lazuli gasped and held him.

"Lapis! You idiot! I was so- I mean, I wasn't-"

Lapis smiled weakly.

"I know. I'm sorry I made you worry."

He looked up at Trunks.

"You… who are you? How did you do all that?"

Trunks stayed silent and Lazuli looked between them in confusion.

"Wait, what did he do?" she asked.

Trunks felt then that he had messed up his entire mission by revealing himself to the twins. He avoided Lapis' stare, feeling a sweat coming on.

Lapis moved his feet over the couch.

"You took out those men in seconds. You… you're not normal, are you?"

As Trunks stayed silent, Lapis got up, much to his sister's protest, and walked over to him. Trunks finally looked into his piercing blue eyes and felt intimidated. As a human, Lapis' eyes were different from the apathetic cold steels of his older self. They were glistening, fiery and emotional.

"Why?" Lapis asked.

It took a moment for Trunks to find his voice, so Lapis gripped the hem of his jacket.

"Why did you do it? Why did you fight them off? Do you think you're some kind of superhero or some bullshit like that?"

Trunks felt himself getting angry. Why was Lapis getting so pissed off from being rescued?

He finally replied, "You know, from the looks of it you wanted to be saved! You…," his voice lowered. "You were crying."

Lapis flinched.

"So what? You know, anyone else would have just walked away. I don't get you- you have super strength or some shit, so why would you… why would you use it use it for me?"

"Are you saying if you saw someone in trouble, and you could stop it, you'd do nothing?"

Lapis looked stunned, his face turning pink.

"I…"

Suddenly, Lapis staggered, but Trunks caught him before he could fall.

"You shouldn't be standing."

"He's right," replied Lazuli.

Lapis glanced back up at Trunks, his eyes watering. He leaned against him, and Trunks could tell from the shuddering that he was trying to hold himself back from crying. Trunks didn't know what to do; he felt hot from embarrassment and his hands hovered over Lapis' back, afraid to touch him. If it was one of the Androids, he'd never let them get this close, but this wasn't 17. He's just a scared, human, boy.

"I thought I was going to die there. I thought about Lazuli by herself… with no one to help her…"

Lazuli released a sob.

"You idiot… I think the same about you everyday."

Lapis turned around just as she came up to hug him.

Lazuli looked over his shoulder at Trunks.

"I'm sorry for earlier… thank you for saving my brother."

Trunks stared at them in surprise. His whole life he only knew the Androids as heartless and careless. In contrast, these siblings were way more emotional. He would never had pictured them crying in a million years. They had dreams for a better life, not a future for destruction. He sighed in resignation. His mom was right to want them protected.

"It's Trunks."

The twins turned to look at him. Lapis tilted his head.

"What?"

"My name is Trunks. I need your help."

* * *

"What do you mean you didn't get him?!"

"You don't understand- someone was with him-"

"The girl?"

"No, it was another boy. But he was crazy strong, like you wouldn't believe! He took out all my guys all by himself!"

"A different boy?"

"That's right!"

Gero paused. It couldn't be… Goku was no longer a child.

"Enough of your lies. You get no payment for no results."

"Wait! The getaway driver followed them, he knows where they're hiding!"

Gero paused. "Very well, tell me their location, and I'll compensate you."

He stared at the photos on his desk. The numbers 17 and 18 written on each photo. Two perfect specimens for his most important project.

"I'll get those children myself if I have to."

* * *

Lapis was sitting back down on the couch, giving Trunks a hard stare.

"You _were_ following me."

"Creepy," Lazuli chimed in beside him. "Are you stalking us?"

Trunks frowned.

"I'm not _stalking_ -"

He paused.

"Ok, so I was _kind of_ stalking-"

"I knew it," Lapis cut in.

"But it's not because I'm a creep! I'm following you because I know this guy is going to try to kidnap you, and I'm trying to catch him before that happens."

"You mean like those guys in the alley?"

Trunks eyes widened in realization.

"Damn it! I didn't even consider that they could've been working for him! He could know that I'm with you- he could target someone else!"

Lazuli raised a finger.

"Ok, back-up. Who is this guy?"

Trunks felt frustrated, as though he's already messed everything up.

"Dr. Gero…"

"What does he look like?"

Trunks groaned.

"Well I'm not one hundred percent sure.-"

Lazuli groaned.

"Seriously?"

"Look, I know how it sounds, but I figured a creepy scientist who experiments on kids would be pretty easy to notice."

Lazuli looked like she was about to hit him, but the sound of Lapis laughing caught them both off guard. He bit his lip.

"Sorry, I just imagined a cartooney Doctor Frankenstein."

If Trunks wasn't so stressed out, he might've found that funny. His spirits were slightly lifted, however, to see Lapis smile after what he went through earlier.

Lazuli rolled her eyes.

"You dork, get serious!"

She pointed a finger at Trunks.

"You'd have to be really naïve to think you could catch this guy without our help."

Trunks looked away.

"I was kind of trying to avoid that…"

Lapis gave a wry grimace.

"Why? You think we'd be bad actors? Blow your cover?"

Trunks thought for moment of all the reasons why. He decided to play dumb instead of having to explain timelines or his vendetta against their future selves.

"I guess so."

"So now that the cat's outta the bag, you've decided to work with us?"

Lazuli squinted.

"Not really. He was trying to leave before you woke up."

"Look, I didn't realize that my target might know now that I'm here."

Lapis looked down. "So you really didn't save me 'cuz of your job... You were just acting on impulse?"

Trunks flushed. "Y-yeah."

"And then what, vanish like some mysterious stranger until you could save us again?'

"Um-"

Lazuli jutted in. "And another thing, who hires a teenager for this kind of job anyway? How do you know so much about this Gero guy?"

Trunks sighed in exasperation. "It's a long story. To sum it up, you're just gonna have to trust me from now on, ok?"

Lapis looked up at him.

"I can't think of a reason not to trust you after you saved me, but from now on you have to help me take care of Lazuli."

His sister became uneasy and lowered her voice.

"You're still prioritizing that?"

"There's no point in saving us if you're going to die anyway."

Trunks held onto Lapis' gaze.

"I promise, I'll help you both out from know on."

Lapis seemed to soften from those words.

"Then we have a deal."


End file.
